Emergence
by CreepyReaper
Summary: After the Cell Games, Gohan is...different. Inside of the formerly innocent teen, there is something horrible waiting to be unleashed. T for violence. Eventual GxV
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Dragon Ball**

Finally the end was in sight. Cell was on his knees before Gohan, who stood and looked down at him in disgust. White fluid dripped from his chin as he stared at Android 18's unconscious body in horror. Already he was beginning to feel the regression to his previous form begin. His eyes were those of a terrified animal staring at the mouth of a carnivore, right before being devoured.

Purple steam began pouring from his entire body and his skin took on its previous dark green color. The giant slowly changed and his power dropped through the floor.

At last he looked up in horror and those watching were greeted by the face of his Semi-Perfect Form. Everyone, with the exception of Mr. Satan, his supporters, and the News crew could see the terror in Cell's eyes.

"Boy!" Cell shouted as he stomped his feet and turned back to Gohan. "You little insect! You made a fool of me!" He screamed in anger and launched himself at the young Saiyan. His fist crashed through the hard ground and threw up large chunks of Earth, but Gohan was gone.

He appeared to the side, looking indifferent. Cell launched into a series of punches , each of which Gohan easily avoided. He was still toying with Cell but was growing bored and launched himself at the hulking giant. His fist smashed into the monster's stomach. Cell was thrown back and landed face down.

From the sidelines Piccolo shouted desperately for Gohan to finish Cell, but the young warrior began calmly walking toward his opponent. Cell stood and began backing up, not noticing the large crevice that their fight had caused.

"Stay away from me you Monster!" He shouted, but lost his footing and began falling. Cell grabbed the edge and caught himself. Before he could pull himself up, Gohan stood over him looking smug and stepped on his hand.

With a smirk that would have made Vegeta proud, he taunted the monster. "Give up or fall." With a defiant shout, Cell latched on with his other hand and pulled himself up. Gohan smirked again and put his foot on Cell's forehead. With a light flex of his muscles, he pushed him off the edge.

Gohan turned around and waited for Cell to fly back up. When the creature appeared, the boy pivoted and delivered a solid knee to the face that sent Cell flying into rubble once again.

When Cell finally managed to stop himself, he looked up at the boy who was steadily walking towards him. "I'll get you for this boy, I swear I will!" Gohan's face remained stoic when he replied.

"Give up Cell, you aren't going to beat me." Secretly he hoped Cell wouldn't give up. He wanted a good fight. _'I'm starting to regret making him spit out 18. It wasn't a challenge by any means, but it was far more entertaining than this,' _he thought to himself.

On the sidelines, Goku and the rest were watching in horror. Gone was the innocent boy they had known for 11 years. In his place was an angry, almost sadistic warrior.

"He's just toying with him," Piccolo said through clenched teeth. Vegeta stood awe struck by the power and attitude of the child he was watching. The boy was truly a Saiyan at heart.

"End it now! Gohan you have to end it now! There's no time to waste! Get him Gohan!" Goku shouted at his son. When Gohan began to walk towards Cell, for a split second Goku thought he had reached his son.

"No, stay back!" Cell shouted and began powering back up. His gold aura surrounded him again and the wind tore at the faces of the Z fighters. Cell's eyes bulged out and his body swelled. As everyone watched, Cell grew and grew until he was the size of a small building.

Goku was the first to realize what was happening. "Run Gohan!" he shouted desperately. Cell began to laugh.

"Boy this is the end for you. You thought you could beat me but you can't! I'm going to blow myself up now, and I'm going to take you with me! Say goodbye to your precious planet" he laughed.

"What! Blow up the Earth?" Vegeta questioned. There was obvious fear on everyone's faces, except Gohan's. He just stood in front of Cell with the same, angry look on his face.

"Yes, he's going to do it. He's not bluffing this time," Replied Piccolo. Cell continued to gloat.

"You lose, little man. I'm going to destroy this planet." When Gohan said nothing, Cell continued in his tirade. "What's wrong? Nothing left to say? Oh well, it won't matter soon. One minute boy, then it will all be over!" he laughed darkly. Without a word, Gohan sat down and closed his eyes.

"What? What is he doing?" asked Trunks. "We have to do something!" Piccolo held up a hand.

"Wait. Gohan wouldn't be this calm unless he had a plan. We have to have faith in him," The Namekian said confidently. Everyone looked at him, as if questioning his sanity. Goku shook his head and put his index and middle fingers to his forehead.

"I can't take that chance." Just before he moved, he saw Gohan open his eyes to look at him. Goku paused and saw Gohan shake his head, the same angry look still on his face. The look in his eyes froze Goku where he was standing. It was...terrifying. Goku slowly dropped his shaking hand from his head, leaving his friends to look at him the same as Piccolo.

"Goku what are you doing!" shouted Krillin. "You have to get Cell off the planet!" Vegeta interrupted before Goku could respond.

"Silence baldie! If Kakarrot's brat needs our help, then we're already dead! Until then we are going to let him fight his own battle! He has certainly earned it!" Vegeta shouted back at the monk. Goku stared in awe at his rival. He had never heard Vegeta defend anyone verbally, much less Gohan.

Krillin gritted his teeth but turned his head back towards the two opposing fighters. Cell was now thoroughly confused while he looked down at the boy, who was sitting in a meditative pose with his eyes closed. Cell decided to try to get a reaction from him.

"Oh poor Gohan. Looks like you let everyone down again. At least they won't be surprised, its not like this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time with you. I'm sure your father is most disappointed in you." The reaction Cell received was not what he expected. All of a sudden Gohan smirked and opened his eyes.

The boy stood and yawned. He stretched his arms and legs and performed a perfect back flip. His face was confident, bored, with a hint of the anger that had not left him since his transformation. Cell was growing angrier by the second.

"So this is how you decide to spend your final moments? Doing gymnastics? Everyone you love is going to be dead in a matter of moments and you don't even seem to care!" The bulbous monstrosity shouted.

Gohan looked up Cell with the smirk on his lips. "How much time did you say was left?" He asked in a curious tone. Cell was flabbergasted. He stared down at the boy, unable to speak. Gohan merely pointed at where a watch would be on his wrist and raised his eyebrows. Cell growled in frustration.

"Ten seconds! You'll all be dead in less than ten seconds! Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!" The Z fighters' eyes were focused on Gohan. He looked so calm. Very slowly Gohan closed the distance between himself and Cell. Cell recoiled slightly in fear, but continued his countdown.

"Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! O-" Too fast for even the other fighters to see, Gohan's hand flashed towards Cell and laid his flat hand on his swollen stomach. His other hand appeared at his forehead with his index and middle finger touching the skin. In a flash they disappeared, leaving the Z fighters shocked into silence.

* * *

><p>King Kai, who had been monitoring the battle, was confused as well, though not for long. Suddenly Cell and Gohan appeared on his planet. Cell looked horrified as he saw where he was, but was unable to stop the process. His entire body began to light up like the sun.<p>

Gohan moved too quickly for even King Kai to see, and quickly gathered King Kai, Bubbles, and Gregory together. His fingers were already back at his head and the four disappeared, leaving Cell alone on the planet.

With a final angry shout at Gohan, his body was consumed by his own energy. A massive sound rocked Other World as the horrible monster exploded.

* * *

><p>Before any of the Z fighters could recover and speak, Gohan appeared before them again, but with cargo. Unceremoniously he dropped his three passengers to the ground. King Kai was the first to recover while the rest of the crowd continued to look on in confusion. Even Goku was at a loss for words.<p>

"What the hell do you think you're doing young man!" the Kai shouted at the top of his lungs at Gohan who merely stood silently, looking at the sky. "Well? Answer me!" King Kai shouted.

Goku finally managed to find his voice. "King Kai! What are you doing here? And how?" He asked. The angry overseer took a moment to dust himself off before looking at his former student.

"It seems your son saw fit to take Cell to my planet before he exploded." This caused everyone to turn their eyes back to Gohan who continued to stared at the sky.

"Son, when did you learn Instant Transmission?" Asked Goku. Gohan broke his eyes off the heavens to look at his father. A small, honest smile appeared on his face. It was a comforting relief from the rage that had dominated prior, though it still remained visible on the edge.

"Well, remember when I accidentally went a little overboard on that Masenko when you weren't on guard? While you were recovering from that I decided to practice it." Goku did remember that. It had taken him almost a week to fully recover and whenever he _was_ awake he was bombarded with Gohan apologizing, despite being told there was nothing to apologize for.

"You...you learned Instant Transmission in under a week? By watching me do it?" Goku asked. His son just grinned and nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, kind of." Goku laughed and jumped up excitedly.

"That's my boy!" He said laughing. The rest of the fighters had finally recovered and joined Goku, with the exception of Vegeta and Piccolo of course. Piccolo walked over to Gohan and put his hand on his student's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you kid. You did good today." Gohan's face turned serious and he looked back towards the sky.

"It's not over." He said darkly. Everyone around him stopped their celebration instantly.

"What? What do you mean its not over? He blew himself up! You did it!" asserted Yamcha. Gohan shook his head.

"I can feel it. He's not dead. In fact, he's even stronger then he was before." The warriors were again shocked.

"Are you sure?" Asked Goku seriously. Gohan nodded. As if to prove him right, Cell suddenly appeared behind the group with a single finger pointed at them. A red beam shot out of his finger and at Trunks.

The lavender haired fighter looked at the beam as it approached him, almost in slow motion. _'I can't dodge this! It's too fast and I'm too tired from the little Cell Jr.'s!' _The others looked on helplessly as the beam approached their friend. The beam impacted and threw up a cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared the warriors were shocked to see Gohan standing in front of Trunks. His gold aura was slightly bigger than before and even more blue lightning flashed across him. His face had lost all traces of humor and innocence.

Cell's face, previously a smug look of victory, turned to one of surprise. _'That's impossible! I fired that as soon as I appeared! Even considering how fast that boy is there is no way he should have been able to block that!' _

The group traced where the beam had come from and saw Cell back in his Perfect Form standing a short distance away. His finger was still outstretched and pointed straight at Trunks. Though they saw no change from his Perfect Form, they could feel the difference. His power had increased immensely.

Trunks was trembling from the realization that he had almost been killed if not for the eleven year old boy in front of him. "Th-thanks, uh, Gohan." He said. His voice was shaking. Gohan didn't look back at him. He only walked to the front of the group facing Cell.

"That was low Cell, even for you. This fight is between us. Leave them. Compared to me they're as weak as the humans." He said angrily. The others' eyes bulged. Had Gohan really just said that?

"Excuse me? Brat! How dare you compare me to those weaklings!" Shouted Vegeta. Even if Gohan was stronger, he still had his pride. Gohan glanced at Vegeta and what the prince saw shocked him to his core. Everywhere he looked in the young half-saiyan's eyes, he saw only rage. Pure rage unlike he had ever experienced before, even in himself. Vegeta was forced to take an involuntary step back out of fear he was unable to control.

"Gohan, keep your ego in check son. Remember the fight isn't over until your opponent is defeated," Goku advised his son. Gohan closed his eyes and chuckled darkly. The sound sent chills down everyone's spines.

"True, very true father. But, then again, this hasn't been a fight in a long time. Its been me enjoying my new toy." Gohan opened his eyes and looked directly at Cell. "And I think its play time." Gohan disappeared, and even Cell seemed to have lost track of him. The monster raised his guard and scanned everywhere around him.

The Z fighters too looked every where but they were unable to find him either. He had simply vanished.

Suddenly Cell froze in his movements. After a long moment he slowly turned his head around. Behind him stood Gohan with his arms crossed leaning against the monster which towered over him. His eyes were looking forward as he waited for Cell to react.

"How? How did you do that!" Cell shouted. When Gohan remained silent, Cell launched his elbow at the boy only for it to pass through an after image. He looked for the boy again, but his attention was drawn back by a whistle. Behind him he saw Gohan floating so he was at eyes level with his taller opponent.

Gohan's arm was outstretched and his open hand was only inches from Cell's face. "Hi. Nice day, don't you think?" Before Cell could respond Gohan's hand was engulfed with yellow light and a massive blast consumed the monster's head. The Z fighters were forced to shield their eyes from the light and wind.

When the blast dissipated, the fighters looked back to see Cell lying on the ground with his head completely gone. Slowly the half Saiyan descended to the ground, looking impatient. Finally, Cell's torso rose and swelled. Suddenly his head popped out, breathing heavily.

Without waiting Gohan grabbed him by the neck, lifted him up, and raised his hand to Cell's legs. The monster looked down and his eyes widened when light once again appeared in the boy's palm.

"No! Please!" But Cell's voice quickly became an ear piercing scream as his lower body was blasted into nothing. Goku and the others looked on in shock.

"What is he doing?" screamed Goku. The others were shaking. They couldn't believe what they were watching. The smoke cleared again, this time leaving nothing below Cell's waist. Gohan looked at where the rest of Cell's body should have been and glared. After a long moment he turned his angry gaze back to Cell's face.

"Grow it back." He said forcefully. Cell shook his head as much as he could while being held in the air only by Gohan's hand on his throat. "Grow it back!" Gohan shouted at him. Again Cell shook his head desperately. His eyes were closed from the pain.

"Fine. Have it your way." Gohan used his free hand to grip Cell's left arm tightly. With a jerk the he tore the limb off at the shoulder. Cell screamed in agony while Gohan tossed his arm to the side and destroyed it with a smaller blast.

On the sidelines Goku collapsed to his knees, unable to look at his son. Tears were falling from his eyes. "Why, Gohan, why? Why are you doing this?" Vegeta stepped forward and placed his hand on his rival's shoulder without looking away from Gohan and Cell.

"Because, Kakarrot, he is a Saiyan. He is making Cell suffer for what he has done. Cell used the boy's anger to bring out his power, and in the process caused Gohan to snap. That is not your son out there. That is a cold blooded Saiyan warrior enjoying inflicting pain and suffering." Vegeta's point was emphasized by another of Cell's screams. "And enjoying it very, very much." Vegeta's voice was not boastful. In fact, it sounded almost sympathetic. Goku looked up at Vegeta and back at his son who continued to hold what little of Cell remained in the air.

Finally Cell opened his eyes at Gohan and flexed his remaining muscles. The rest of his body burst back into existence and Gohan smirked. "Now there's a good boy. I've had a fun time, but I think my father would prefer I ended this, and it is becoming a bit repetitive."

Cell's entire body began to shake in fear. "P-please, please no. Please spare me, I beg you. Have mercy." He begged. Gohan cocked his head to the side and put his free hand to his chin in a thinking pose.

"You know I certainly could spare you. I _could_. But...nah. I think I should just kill you." Cell's eyes bulged in fear. He shouted and the Z fighters could feel his power skyrocket. The monster tried to stand but Gohan's ironclad grip kept him at an awkward angle, with his knees inches from touching the ground and forcing him to almost lean on Gohan to remain upright.

Cell raised both of his hands to the side and blue light began to shine through his fingers. He began to chant. "KA MEEEE HA MEEEEE!"

"Gohan no!" Goku screamed. Gohan angrily shouted and his golden aura jumped to life once again just as Cell fired the Kamehameha Wave point blank into the boy's chest. Gohan disappeared in the massive wave of blue which continued expanding. Cell poured all his energy into it in his desperate attempt to kill the young fighter.

The wind ripped at everything and everyone at hundreds of miles an hour. Mr. Satan and his group sheltered themselves in a large ravine and watched as the sky itself seemed to be consumed by the wave.

Goku watched, oblivious to the wind and the blast as he silently cried. No matter how powerful Gohan was, there was no way he would be able to survive that. That was it. His son was dead.

For several seconds, Cell continued his massive blast, but slowly it shrank and disappeared. The massive dust cloud was slow to dissipate. Cell stood panting as he looked on tiredly. The spot where Gohan stood was the first to clear. The young warrior was nowhere to be seen. Cell laughed in victory and raised his fists into the air.

"Ha! I did it! I am the most powerful being to ever exist!" Cell gloated. The other fighters just watched in despair. Their last hope was gone.

"Now who shall I kill next? Oh how much fun this will be!" Cell practically giggled. His attention shifted, however, when he noticed all the remaining warriors looking in the same direction to his right, towards the last of the dust cloud.

Through the dust, a silhouette was slowly becoming visible. When the last of the dust settled, it revealed Gohan at the end of a long and shallow trench in the Earth. It appeared that he had been physically pushed back by the blast.

His arms were at his sides, but it was obvious from the amount of blood on them he had used his forearms to guard against the massive attack. When Cell saw him, his legs collapsed out from under him and he landed on his knees. _'There's just no way to kill this kid. I put everything I had into that.'_

"I have to hand it to you Cell, that kind of tickled." Gohan smirked and disappeared. He appeared right in front of Cell and put his hand through the monsters gut. He pulled his hand out and grabbed Cell by the neck.

"So, now that I've had my fun and you've found what true terror feels like, I think its time for you to go bye-bye." Without another word, Gohan tossed the bleeding Cell into the air. The monster seemed to hang there for an eternity before Gohan formed a ki blast in his right hand and fired almost point blank.

The blast looked small in comparison to Cell's, but anyone who could sense energy could feel the difference. Gohan's blast was far more powerful and even more concentrated. It was barely wide enough hit Cell's entire body, but it destroyed the monster down to his last molecule.

"I-i-is it, is it over?" Krillin asked. Gohan stood for a moment before flying to his friends.

"Yep! Its done." He said with a happy smile. The young half Saiyan's hair turned back to black, as did his eyes as if to emphasize his point. Goku immediately hugged his son. Gohan was confused but hugged back regardless.

"Dad what's wrong?" He asked softly. It was then he felt his father's tears on his back. "Dad its okay. I did it, he's dead."

"Its not that son. I know that. I'm just glad you're alive." Gohan smiled and hugged his father. After a moment the older Saiyan stood. The father/son pair grinned and looked towards their friends.

The others stared at Gohan for a moment before nervously approaching him. "Hey what's wrong guys?" Gohan asked innocently. His normal voice helped put his friends at ease that their Gohan was back and they all eagerly approached him to give him their congratulations.

"Hey guys, how about we go home and have a big meal to celebrate!" suggested Goku, and everyone readily agreed. "Okay, Gohan how about you take everyone back to our house. Piccolo, Vegeta and I will go get Bulma, Master Roshi and the rest of the gang. Sound good?"

Gohan eagerly nodded and flew off towards his home, with the others following him, but not before Krillin picked up the unconscious android. When they were out of sight, the three warriors looked at each other seriously. Goku spoke first. "You two saw it too, didn't you." It wasn't a question. The two men nodded.

"It wasn't just his actions, though those were cruel enough as it is. It was that look in his eyes...I can't even describe it." Piccolo replied. Goku nodded and looked at Vegeta.

"Have you ever seen anything like that?" He asked. Vegeta shook his head.

"I don't know how or where it came from, but that brat of yours has something terrible in him." Vegeta's normal smirk and arrogance were for once gone, replaced with a look of caution.

"We'll need to watch him closely, because if we don't something might accidentally trigger it and I wouldn't want to be around when that comes out without something like Cell to direct it at." Goku stated. The other two nodded their agreement.

"We should probably get going. We do actually need to get everybody and man am I hungry." Goku laughed. His stomach growled to show the direness of the situation. Vegeta scoffed but none the less blasted away towards Master Roshi's island. No matter how arrogant, a Saiyan will do a lot of things for a good meal. Piccolo and Goku quickly followed.

* * *

><p><strong>I've always wondered why Goku never taught anyone Instant Transmission, especially his son. So i decided to do write a story where he did. My thought was always the reason Gohan calmed after the Cell Games was he blamed himself for his father's death and I wanted to know what would have happened if he hadn't. So, this is my take on what would have ensued. Please Review and tell me if you like it. Criticism is always welcome as long as its constructive.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything DB**

After the defeat of Cell, peace once again blessed the Earth with its presence. Once the evil monster's victims were wished back, a state of normalcy began returning. Mr. Satan took credit for Gohan's defeat of Cell, but the young boy decided it was for the best. He elected to instead continue living his life of quiet isolation in the mountains with his family.

Soon it was found that Chi Chi was once again pregnant and 8 short months later young Goten was born. Goku continued training his son and eventually the boy was able to call upon his great power at will, but Goku still sensed there was more. Far more, hiding deep below the surface, just waiting to be unleashed when needed.

True to their word, Piccolo and Vegeta also continued to watch the young warrior as he grew. They were on almost constant alert for anything that could anger him sufficiently. However, as time wore on, they lowered their guard. Gohan showed more control every day and very quickly returned to the happy innocent child they had known. Vegeta resumed his training harder than ever, and Piccolo took up the role of Defender of Earth's Guardian, Dende.

Regardless, there were instances, brief flashes behind his son's dark eyes, where Goku saw the same look he had seen at the fight against Cell. The others may have been fooled, but Goku knew his son still harbored great anger, even if he didn't know it himself.

One year after Cell's defeat, on the anniversary of the Games Bulma decided to throw a party to celebrate Gohan's victory. It was here Gohan's fragile control over himself would shatter like glass.

"Hey Dad, you ready to go?" Asked Gohan as he stepped into his parents' bedroom. Inside he saw his father putting his boots on. He stood, tapped his foot on the bed, and smiled.

"Yep. Your mother and Goten ready?" he asked his son, who was dressed similarly to him in a orange gi over a blue long sleeve shirt. His son grinned and nodded before disappearing. His father smirked and disappeared himself and chased after his son too fast for the eye to see.

They reappeared outside in front of an impatient Chi Chi holding a small baby Goten. The baby looked up at the sudden appearance and laughed while reaching for his older brother. Gohan smiled and gently took the younger half Saiyan from his mother who watched the two boys with pride in her eyes.

"Ready to go Mom?" Gohan asked. Chi Chi nodded and put her hand on her husband's chest. Gohan and Goku both put their middle and index fingers to their foreheads and glanced at each other.

"Race ya?" Goku suggested. Gohan eagerly nodded and in a flash both disappeared. At almost the same instant the family of four reappeared at Capsule Corp in West City, over a thousand miles from their home.

"You know, its really hard to race when we both use INSTANT Transmission." Laughed Gohan. Goku shrugged happily and led his family into the large domed building. Inside he could sense that the rest of the gang had already arrived.

The sliding doors opened and revealed a very happy Krillin. "Hey, you made it!" He yelled and motioned for them to come inside. "Party's already started. You guys are the last to arrive. And who's this little guy?" He asked as he took a close look at Goten who stared at his bald head in fascination.

"This little guy is Goten." Gohan proudly replied. Krillin looked up at the older boy.

"So this is the mini Goku I've heard so much about. I've got to say, he does look a lot like you Goku. And Gohan, you've gotten taller. Not too long ago I remember you were shorter than me" Laughed the old monk.

Gohan scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Well, I _was_ five at the time." Krillin rolled his eyes and led them through another sliding door. This one led to a large domed indoor garden. Inside they could see the whole gang, even Piccolo had shown up.

"Hey, there they are!" announced Bulma as she walked over and gave each of the family a hug.

"Hey Bulma, how have you been?" Asked Goku. Bulma scowled and glanced towards Vegeta, who was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"I tell you, one of these days I'm going to kill that man." Vegeta apparently overheard them and opened one eye to throw a glare at her, but remained silent. Bulma's face turned happy when she looked back at the family in front of her. "How have you guys been? Haven't seen you in forever!"

Goku scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. You know how it is, between training with Gohan and the new baby life has been pretty crazy at our house." Bulma glared half-halfheartedly at him but sighed when he flashed his classic innocent grin.

"You know Goku, you make it really hard to be mad at you sometimes." The sheepish grin continued. Bulma sighed and nodded her head towards the large tables of food that Gohan and Goku had not so subtly been staring at. In a flash Goku disappeared.

Gohan gently handed his younger brother to his mother before disappearing and reappearing beside his father. They sat at a table as a string of robots ferried food to them and empty bowls from them. No one even batted an eye towards the pair, each being quite used to Saiyan eating habits.

A half hour and an Olympic swimming pool worth of food later, the two warriors sighed contentedly and leaned back in their chairs.

"Hey guys, come over here! You'll never believe who's on TV!' Shouted Krillin through laughs. Gohan and Goku peered over curiously and forgot lost track of how far back their chairs were tilted. In perfect sync, the two Son men toppled over backwards. Red faced, the two stood immediately and walked to where the others had gathered.

They all stood around a television with amusement on their faces. Only Piccolo and Vegeta weren't smiling or actively laughing. Vegeta was scowling at the screen and Piccolo looked tense.

"Hey guys, what's so funny?" Gohan asked with a smile. Yamcha glanced at him and answered.

"You know that guy who took credit for defeating Cell?" Gohan nodded, and a mask of neutrality overtook his face. He didn't want credit for defeating Cell, but his Saiyan side didn't exactly love the idea of letting someone else claim his victory. Yamcha didn't notice the young man's change in attitude.

"Well he's making a complete idiot of himself!" Gohan raised an eyebrow and turned his head at the television. It showed a large man with a ridiculous head of hair practically shouting at the camera. Reporters were asking questions and taking pictures of the man at the podium.

"Mr. Satan, for our viewers who haven't already heard, can you tell us of those mysterious fighters who fought Cell while you recovered from your stomach pain?" Asked a red haired woman in the front row. Mr. Satan paused before erupting in boastful laughter.

"Ha! Those weaklings! I could beat them with both hands tied behind my back!" The people who weren't taking notes cheered and clapped. Mr. Satan smiled at their reaction and decided to take it a step further.

"In fact, after the battle, they tried to challenge me! Imagine that, those puny little girls trying to defeat the Great Hercule Satan!" The Z fighters suddenly stopped laughing when they felt a strong wind start. Those who could sense energy immediately shifted their eyes to Gohan who had his fists clenched and was glaring at the television. Mr. Satan continued in his speech.

"So of course I beat a little sense into them and sent them on their way like little girls!" He ended with an arrogant laugh that echoed through the large news hall. Another reporter raised his hand, a thin black man in an expensive suit.

"So Mr. Satan, you're confident that you could easily defeat them again?" He asked. A bead of sweat collected on Mr. Satan's forehead but he continued on, against his better judgment. His image was everything, it was what paid for everything for his family and himself.

"Are you kidding? I'd beat them into the dirt even harder this time! I've got an idea. I officially challenge all those cowards to a rematch. I bet they'll be too scared to come in a hundred miles of here!" Hercule laughed nervously, but the reporters cheered and scribbled without noticing.

Thousands of miles away in West City, a radiant golden light burst from a domed garden behind Capsule Corp.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" Gohan screamed at the top of his lungs and his hair flashed into a bright blonde. His black eyes turned teal and a gold aura pushed farther and farther away from him. The crowd of people around him fled to cover except for two black haired Saiyans and a tall green Namekian.

"Gohan! You have to calm down! He didn't mean any of it!" Goku yelled to his son. Gohan's power continued rising, completely oblivious to his fathers pleas. Blue electricity crackled around him and grew with his expanding aura. Soon the three observing warriors were forced to take a leap back to avoid being consumed by it.

"My gosh, his power is unbelievable! Where is he getting all this?" Asked Piccolo who was forced to bring his arms up to shield his face. The two Saiyans beside him each turned Super Saiyan to avoid being blown away.

Then, something changed that not a single person expected. Gohan's pure golden aura suddenly changed to an evil orange color, and the bright blue lightning around him flashed blood red.

The boy's shouts grew even louder as the ground shook and nearby buildings began collapsing. The walls and ceiling of the garden were blasted away by Gohan's aura and the massive winds it was producing. The clouds overhead were blown away and the sky itself darkened. Even the clothes Gohan was wearing were being torn away. His blue long sleeves disintegrated and pieces of fabric were ripped away from his orange top. In one final dazzling flash the evil looking aura exploded, leaving everyone in a fifty mile radius momentarily blinded.

When the Z fighters regained their bearings they were horrified at what they saw. Gohan floated above a crater so deep the bottom was invisible. His aura had retracted around him but was still larger than any they had seen before. Its dark orange color shone at them, giving the appearance that they were looking into hell itself.

The blood red lightning danced across Gohan's skin with frightening regularity. Even his eyes were different. Though the centers remained teal, the veins around his eyes was the darkest black imaginable. Gohan looked at them, and _that _look had returned in spades.

The look he had given Cell in the midst of torturing him, the one that almost sent even Vegeta to his knees in fear. He looked at them for only a moment, his eyes passed over each of their trembling forms, before he looked up and flew away faster than anyone could see.

Only a second later, Goku forced himself out of his trance. He shook his head and raised his power to his absolute maximum. He turned to Vegeta and Piccolo who looked back at him and nodded. Both warriors also powered up before all three blasted after the young half Saiyan.

It was impossible to miss his energy signature. It was overshadowing the whole planet. The three couldn't even sense each other, despite being at their maximum and only feet away from one another. As they raced after him Piccolo was busily thinking to himself.

_ 'Why is he going so slow? With this kind of power he could have been there already, not to mention Instant Transmission. I don't get it, unless he's-' _Piccolo blinked. "We have to catch him!" Piccolo shouted over the wind. Vegeta looked at him like he was an idiot.

"What do you think we're trying to do?" He barked at the green skinned warrior. Piccolo shook his head.

"No, you don't get it. He wants us to catch him. I think he know he can't stop himself, so he's doing the only thing he can do. He's trying to slow himself down enough so we can catch him and stop him!" The Namekian shouted back. Vegeta and Goku's eyes bulged and all three fighters gritted their teeth and pushed their speed as fast as they possible could.

Slowly, the trio gained on the boy, and finally caught up to him over a small city a mere twenty miles from his destination. When they were within seeing distance, Gohan abruptly stopped without difficulty. The three fighters skidded to a stop in midair, only managing to come to a complete halt barely twenty feet from the teen.

"You have...to stop...me." Gohan spoke through gritted teeth and his entire body was shaking from rage. Goku floated towards his son and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. Before he could get within a foot of Gohan, red lightning reached out and struck his hand, wrist, and forearm.

Goku recoiled in pain and held his now smoking arm. Gohan shook his head. "No...that won't work. Please...I don't want to hurt anyone...Please you have to kill me. I...I'm begging you." Tears were rolling down his cheeks but his eyes were as evil as ever, though the three couldn't see that as they were facing his back.

"No Gohan I will not kill you!" Goku shouted. "You're a good boy, I know that. I know that you're angry right now but you have to control it." Goku encouraged his son. Gohan's only reaction was to flare his aura and turn around angrily.

"No! You have to kill me! Kill me now!" Without giving the three time to respond, he launched himself towards his father. Goku didn't know what hit him as Gohan delivered a brutal punch to his gut before clasping his hands over his head and jack-hammering his father to the ground. Goku's body crashed though the hard earth and rubble covered the hole.

Gohan continued his assault by delivering a round house kick to the side of Vegeta's head which sent the Prince tumbling into the side of a distant mountain. Piccolo was the boy's next target and received a vicious backhand that launched him up high into the sky. Before he could recover Gohan was above him with a yellow orb in his right hand which he used to blast his old mentor back towards the ground.

Piccolo crashed and the force of the impact caused a wide crater to open in the ground. The entire assault was over in less than a second. Goku recovered first. Bright yellow light shined through holes in the rubble that covered him before the pile exploded. He floated out and landed on the ground. He looked around for the others and found Piccolo pushing himself up from his hole. Vegeta appeared next to them. All their clothes were now scratch and Vegeta's armor was cracked in several places.

Blood was streaming from where the teen had kicked him and Piccolo's back was smoking. Vegeta glared at Gohan who floated above them and gritted his teeth. "Fine, you want to die? I'll be happy to oblige!" Vegeta blasted towards the youth. Twin balls of energy formed in his hands which he launched at Gohan who remained motionless as the blasts consumed him.

Vegeta smirked and crossed his arms. "Easy enough." He turned his back and began floating back down when he froze. He slowly turned his head to look up and behind him where the dust was dissipating. There floated Gohan, completely untouched. Vegeta scowled again and prepared to attack again when the boy disappeared. The Prince scanned around in confusion until a hand on his shoulder forced him to turn around to look at the angry, evil eyes of his rival's son.

"Not good enough." Those were Gohan's only words before he launched an uppercut at the Prince who was completely unable to avoid it. When Vegeta's body flew upwards, Gohan reached out and grabbed his ankle and pulled him back down with his left hand. He grabbed the back of Vegeta's neck with his right hand and delivered a strong knee to the warrior's gut.

Vegeta's eyes bulged at the pain and blood and saliva flew from his mouth. Gohan delivered another knee to the Prince's stomach, and another. And another. His pace soon grew too fast for either Goku or Piccolo to see. They could only watch in horror as Vegeta cried out in pain. With one last powerful knee to his gut, the Prince's hair faded back to black and his eyes became vacant.

Goku and Piccolo each launched themselves at Gohan at the same moment. Gohan glanced at them and hurled the unconscious Vegeta at Piccolo which sent them both falling to the ground, creating yet another deep crater. Goku flew slightly above his son and brought his fists together and and tried to smash them down on his son's head.

Gohan caught his father's fists with his right hand, pulled him down, and punched him hard in his chest. Goku's vision clouded for a brief instant before he managed to recover and throw his leg at Gohan's head. Gohan easily dodged the blow and put both his hands on his off balance father's back.

Goku's eyes went wide as he felt the energy collect in his son's hands. Goku heard his son's voice, quietly plead to him. "Please Daddy, you have to kill me." Before Goku could respond the energy released, burning his skin and sending him in an uncontrollable nosedive towards the ground. He crashed into the hardened surface once again and the twin balls of energy on his back exploded. A massive fireball erupted where the Saiyan warrior had been.

Piccolo attempted to use the opportunity to sneak up behind his former pupil. He appeared behind Gohan in midair and put his middle and index fingers to his forehead. "Special Beam Cannon!" He shouted as he launched the powerful yellow beam at the teen. Gohan didn't attempt to move out of the way.

He spun around almost slowly and raised his left hand to the beam. When it reached his hand, it instantly began curling into a ball of energy which grew larger as the rest of Piccolo's attack fed into it. When the end of the beam joined the ball, Gohan turned his tear filled, evil eyes on the Namekian who floated in front of him.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely, before launching the ball back at his old mentor. The yellow ball reached Piccolo before he could even think of dodging,and exploded in bright yellow burst. Piccolo's limp body fell from the sky a moment later and stuck the dirt. He bounced with a sickening thud as purple blood leaked onto the ground.

Gohan looked around to see if anyone was moving. Satisfied that the three fighters weren't getting up, he flew off. He quickly arrived over his target. He looked down and sensed for the man he was looking for. He felt a familiar energy signature and smirked. Slowly, he descended towards Satan Manor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:I don't own anything, but if anyone feels like giving me the rights, I certainly wouldn't object. **

Outside the massive complex, Gohan landed in courtyard in front of the mansion. Behind him the bewildered guards at the front gate stared at him. One reached for his phone and called the security office.

As the young boy ascended the steps up to the front door, a half dozen large men in light blue jackets that read 'Security' stepped out. The largest one stood directly in Gohan's path and placed his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder.

"Whoa there kid. Where do you think you're going?" He asked in a condescending tone. Gohan looked up at him in annoyance.

"You're in my way. I need to have a little discussion with Mr. Satan." The darkness in the boy's voice didn't go unnoticed by the guards.

"Uh, what's your name kid? You have an appointment?" The older man really didn't want the kid to get hurt. He had a son himself and he would want anyone to at least try to look out for him. Karma, and all that.

Gohan flashed his aura around him which threw the six guards away from him. Four went flying off the short porch and the other two banged into the side of the house. All were unconscious. "I do now." Gohan smirked at their weakness and knocked on the door. Old habits die hard.

Moments later a well dressed, balding man opened the door. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw the unconscious guards. He trembled when he looked down and saw the boy's eyes.

"You can take the rest of the day off," Gohan said as he pushed past the butler. The man flew into a table and collapsed to the floor before collecting himself and sprinting out the door.

Gohan looked around him for his target. He tried to sense him out and felt him near the center of the house on the opposite side of a maze of hallways. The fighter shrugged and flared his aura so it was just barely tall enough to scratch the ceiling. Satisfied, he began walking straight towards Mr. Satan. When he came to the first wall, the wall disintegrated leaving a perfect oval-shaped doorway in its place. Without breaking stride Gohan walked through it.

The next wall met the same fate, but the maids on the other side who had been conversing seconds before ran screaming out of the way as everything in the hall was uprooted and tossed around.

Hallway after hallway, Gohan grew closer to the room he was looking for. By now, someone had regained enough sense to trigger an alarm and blue strobe lights flashed through the halls. An annoying wail pierced the air, until Gohan scowled and every speaker in the house exploded in a shower of sparks.

Gohan sensed Mr. Satan begin moving around in the large room he was in, no doubt trying to find out just what was going on in his home.

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><p>"And there you have it folks! Hercule Satan is the new Martial Arts Champion of the World!" Hercule sighed happily as he reclined in his chair and listened to the announcer on the DVD. He still remembered that day like it was yesterday. The day he had won his first World Championship.<p>

His nostalgia was interrupted when the floor began to shake. Hercule bolted up from his chair and looked towards the door of his home cinema. Then the security alarm began to blare, until seconds later the overhead speakers exploded. Hercule raised his hands to shield his face from the sparks and ran to the door.

Outside he saw one of his maids sprint by. He grabbed her gently by the arm and asked her what was going on. She shook her head violently as she attempted to run away but Hercule's grip remained firm, but not firm enough to hurt the young woman.

Suddenly the screen on the wall behind him disintegrated in a shower of orange light as a young boy walked through. Hercule froze and the maid used the opportunity to slip out of his grip and sprint away. The boy chuckled darkly at seeing the display.

"So hard to find good help these days." It sounded like a joke, but Hercule could hear the venom underneath. Deciding to confront the intruder he stood up to his full height.

"Who are you?" he asked with his voice full of confidence. He _was_ after all the strongest man on Earth. The boy feigned being offended and placed his hand over his heart, but his aura remained.

"Why, Hercule, I'm hurt. How could you not recognize me? After all, I _am_ the reason for all your fame and wealth. Well, maybe not all of it, but at least a significant portion." Hercule squinted at the boy in thought.

Seeing that Hercule wasn't getting it, Gohan threw him a bone. "Does Delivery Boy ring a bell?" Hercule's eyes refocused for a split second and a feeling of realization came over him. He began to shake and point at the boy who was ever so slowly advancing on him.

"Y-you! You were the kid at the Cell Games!" The kid looked a little different, a little taller and his eyes were slightly different, but it was definitely the same kid. He had the same crazy hair, even though it seemed darker.

Gohan nodded. "That's me. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know who came up with that stupid nickname do you? If you do tell me because I've been meaning to pay them a little visit and file a complaint. I never gave them consent to air my likeness on television. Gotta protect my image you know." Gohan was now barely a foot away from the older man in front of him.

"I, uh, I don't really kn-" Hercule was interrupted by Gohan's fist in his stomach. He would have flown backwards from the force if the boy hadn't grabbed hm by the throat. The Champ spewed blood onto the boy, or would have had it too not disintegrated in the boy's aura.

"So, you wanted a rematch huh? Funny. I don't remember fighting you after Cell, and I certainly don't remember you beating my friends and I into the dirt, but it must be true if it came from the one and only _Hercule Satan_," the boy said sarcastically. He looked at Hercule expectantly, but the World Champ could only focus on desperately trying to breath through Gohan's tight grip.

Gohan rolled his eyes in disgust and tossed Hercule into the wall. He flew through it and collapsed against the back of a couch. The couch moved back several feet from the force of the man's body hitting it and skidded to a stop halfway to the fireplace. Gohan walked through the wall after his prey, the small hole widening greatly from the force radiating off him.

Gohan strode up to the beaten man before him. Hercule was lying on the ground with his upper body leaning on the back of the couch. Blood was pouring from a half dozen wounds on his body and his left shin was at a sharp angle. Hercule was gritting his teeth tightly in an attempt to keep from crying.

Gohan snorted in disgust. "I cant believe I actually let you take credit for my victory for a whole year. What a disgrace. Even Cell should be offended. Oh well. Can't change the past, might as well fix this now." Gohan raised his hand and pointed his palm at the bloody wreck that was Hercule Satan. He channeled a small amount of energy to his hand and focused it just above his palm. A ball of golden light appeared and Hercule tensed in anticipation. Gohan raised an eyebrow at the man, surprised he wasn't begging. He would make his death a quick one. He had earned that at lea-

"DADDY!" Gohan never finished his internal monologue. Seemingly from nowhere a girl roughly his age came flying and landed beside Hercule. She had two long, black pigtails and wide blue eyes. Gohan gasped at seeing her.

"Daddy, Daddy are you okay?" she begged of her father. Hercule grunted and raised his head to look at his daughter.

"V-Videl. Please, you have to get out of here. Run, now," he ordered through blood covered teeth. Videl shook her head violently and hugged her father.

Gohan could only stand there with his mouth open as he stared at the girl. His outstretched hand dropped of its own volition, and his aura faded away. The black in his eyes receded, and his hair returned to its lighter gold color. Inside, he could feel all his anger and rage drop away. He was himself again.

"No! I won't leave you." She turned to Gohan and he saw her eyes overflowing with tears. To his complete surprise, the young girl who couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen herself, took up a fighting pose. She stood between Gohan and her injured father. Her face became one of hard determination even as tears continued to escape her eyes.

Gohan stared into her deep blue eyes and lost himself. Without his consent, his hair and eyes returned to their natural black. Videl's eyes widened at the transformation.

Gohan looked around at the carnage and at the wounded champ behind the girl. His body began to tremble and he looked down at his hands.

"What...what did I do?" he asked in horror, before collapsing to the ground unconscious.

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><p>To say that Videl was confused would have been an understatement. She had been sure that she was about to die. Anyone who could beat her father as badly as he had been could easily destroy her. Nonetheless, she had to protect her father, even if it meant her own death.<p>

It therefore came as much of a surprise when the intruder's hair and eyes changed, and an even bigger shock when he collapsed in front of her. She couldn't see any visible wounds on him, he had just collapsed.

Videl's thinking was quickly interrupted when a man in a very torn and bloody fighting gi had run into her living room through the new hole in the wall. He looked just like the boy in front of her had seconds before his hair and eyes changed, except he was much taller. He looked around and saw the intruder lying on the floor.

"Gohan!" he shouted in concern. Faster than Videl could see, the tall blonde was holding the boy in his arms. "Vegeta! Piccolo! I found him!" He shouted to his unseen comrades. Instantly two more people were standing in the room. One had blonde hair and teal eyes like the other two, though he was shorter.

The other, much more shocking person was taller than everyone else in the room and had green skin with pink patches on his arms. They looked surprised when they saw the boy was unconscious.

"What happened?" asked the man with green skin. The taller of the two blondes shook his head.

"I don't know. I'm going to take him home. Piccolo would you mind cleaning up here?" he nodded towards Videl's father who had passed out from blood loss and pain. The green man nodded.

"Thanks." The tall blonde then stood with the boy in his arms, raised his middle and index fingers to his forehead, and disappeared.

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><p><strong>I know this is short, but that's because its really more of a setup to next chapter. Consider it a teaser. Please review and tell me what you think<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:I know this will come as a surprise to many of you, but I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and I wouldn't take Dragon Ball GT if they paid me to.**

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><p>Chi Chi sighed and reclined in her favorite chair as she sat in front of the window in her living room. After Gohan had almost destroyed Bulma's home and blasted off to places unknown, her husband had flown off after him. Piccolo and Vegeta had quickly followed which left a very confused group at Capsule Corp.<p>

Sometime during the chaos she had collapsed, and woke up in her home on her couch with Goten in her arms. After taking the time to look around she had found her husband's friends Tien and Yamcha leaning against the door outside. They had been kind enough to take her and her young son home.

After putting Goten in his bed which rested beside Gohan's, she had made herself a cup of tea and tried to relax in the living room. Chi Chi took another sip from her cup and stared off into the distance mountains.

After she married Goku, it had been his idea to move here to his childhood home. Though at first she had been reluctant, eventually her new husband managed to convince her. When she finally arrived to see the home he had built, she fell in love with the peace and quiet the wilderness provided.

It hadn't taken long for the local beasts to learn to stay away from her Goku, leaving the two of them together alone for weeks at a time. That was when Gohan had been conceived, after much explaining from Chi Chi to Goku on how married life worked. She had especially enjoyed their little 'night lessons.'

With a nostalgic smile she continued to stare off into the distance and wonder about the safety of her oldest son. Her poor baby had been through so much more than anyone deserved, and seen too many terrible sights for his young age despite her best efforts. His father was partly to blame, but she found herself unable to be angry with him.

It was his heartfelt purpose to protect the people around him, but he hadn't been able to do it alone. Unfortunately, his son had been roped in alongside the rest of them. As a result, her sweet, innocent Gohan was gone.

True, he acted much like his former self. He was always laughing at something, and playing with his little brother. He gobbled his food down faster than ever, even rivaling his father's great appetite.

But a mother knows when something is wrong with her child, and Chi Chi knew something was wrong with her son. Whenever he laughed, it always sounded a little forced. Every time she asked him to help he with something, he always hesitated for the slightest moment. Before he had frequently come and asked if she needed help. He rarely offered anymore. Even Goku noticed, despite his usual ignorance of the every day things going on around him.

Chi Chi's musings were interrupted by a familiar buzzing sound behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw her husband standing in his Super Saiyan form, looking like he had received a beating. She started to chastise him when she saw who he was holding. The teacup fell from her fell from her hand and shattered on the floor as she rushed to her son.

Gohan was unconscious and all his clothes were torn and ripped. She looked at her husband in a panic but he just turned and headed to Gohan's room. Chi Chi followed and watched him lay their son gently in his bed. Goku tucked his son in and quietly closed the door.

When the two parents were out of the room, Goku sighed. He closed his eyes and his hair returned to its natural black. He opened his eyes and looked down at his wife. Chi Chi saw something in her husband's eyes. Something she rarely saw.

Usually he was always so light spirited and happy. Even when the world was in danger he always had an air of optimism about him. Now his eyes were filled with worry. She started to speak but Goku just shook his head and led them into the living room. She followed him to the couch and sat beside him.

For several minutes Goku appeared lost in thought as he stared at the floor. Chi Chi fidgeted and played with locks of her hair while she waited for her husband to speak.

Finally after an agonizingly long wait, Goku raised his head and spoke. "Something is wrong with our son, Chi Chi." His voice was deadly serious, so much so it forced Chi Chi to do a double take.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Goku shook his head.

"I don't know, but there's something terrible inside Gohan. An evil power, and today it forced its way to the surface. The look in his eyes today...I don't even know how describe it." Chi Chi stared at her husband in wide eyed shock. She'd seen her son today, and yes he looked angry, but she had never suspected that it was this serious. She assumed he was just mad at that televised fool.

"I don't know what we're going to do. I can't stop him if it happens again. He was stronger than me before, and today I was barely even able to comprehend his power." Chi Chi put her hand on Goku's leg in an attempt to sooth her husband.

"But you did it, you brought our baby boy home." Goku lowered his head in shame.

"No, no I didn't. I tried, but even then the only reason we caught up to him was he let us. He restrained himself, he wanted us to stop him. He asked me to-" Goku's voice caught in his throat and he balled his fists tightly. "He asked me, no. No, he begged me to kill him today." Chi Chi's eyes bulged and began to water.

"He begged me to kill him. He...he was so scared Chi. He was terrified of what he was going to do, and he begged me to kill him." Chi Chi saw a tear at the corner of Goku's eye and did the only thing she could. She grabbed her husband and hugged him as tightly as she could. She hugged tighter when she felt Goku's arms encircle her.

For once, Chi Chi was the one comforting her husband. "It's okay Goku. We'll figure this out." Unbeknownst to the couple, Gohan stood silently just around the corner of the living room listening to every word his parents said.

He balled his fists and wiped away the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. A look of hard determination came over his features and he walked wordlessly past his parents and to the door. They looked at him in confusion, and his mother started to run after him when he opened the door.

"Gohan where are you going?" She asked in a panic. Gohan looked back at his mother and smiled sadly.

"I'll be back Mom. I promise." Without another word the young boy turned and flew off in a flash of blue and white light. Chi Chi turned to her husband, expecting him to chase after their son but he remained where he sat.

"He'll be fine Chi. He just needs to figure some things out first." Chi Chi sighed, knowing she was out of options. She couldn't chase after her son, and if her husband thought it was for the best, she had to trust him. _'I just hope he's not gone too long.'_

As soon as Gohan left his home he knew exactly where he was going. He flew relatively slowly, slow enough that people on the ground would have been able to follow him with the naked eye. Still, he put almost every plane in the sky to shame.

After almost an hour of flying, Gohan arrived at the barren wasteland that had been host to his battle with Cell. _'Well, battle may be a little charitable,' _the young boy thought darkly. Gohan landed on the hard desert floor and shook his head violently to rid himself of the thought.

"No. No I can't think like that," he stated out loud. Gohan sighed and looked around at his surroundings. His view stopped on an empty spot and he pointed his index finger at the ground. He quickly jerked his hand upwards and a massive, narrow pillar of stone rose from the ground. It soared into the air until it towered over the 12 year old.

Gohan looked up at his handiwork and smiled appreciatively. He jumped casually to the top and sat down. The platform was just barely large enough for the young warrior. A serious look overcame his face. Gohan closed his eyes and began to meditate.

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><p>"Man, how long's he been there?" Asked Krillin as he landed beside his friends. Piccolo, Vegeta, and Goku stood staring at Gohan who sat completely still on top of a large pillar. He still wore the ripped clothes he had worn during his rampage.<p>

"Four days," answered Piccolo. Krillin's eyes bulged and he stared gaping at his friends.

"Four days! And he hasn't moved or eaten in all that time?" The monk asked in amazement. Goku shook his head without breaking his eyes from his son. A rare serious look was on his face and his fists were tight at his sides. "Wow. This must be more serious than I thought."

Piccolo nodded. For several hours the four warriors stood motionless in front of the pillar. The quiet was suddenly interrupted by the loud whine of jet engines. The four looked behind them to see a jet copter with the Capsule Corp logo on its side. The aircraft landed and kicked up a massive cloud of dust that parted around the four warriors.

Vegeta smirked and turned back towards Gohan. Behind him the large side door on the jet copter opened and out stepped a blue haired genius. "What are you doing here woman?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Not that its any of your business, but I came to check on my friends, especially Gohan. How's he doing?" She asked. Goku's grim face was the only answer she needed. "That bad huh?" Piccolo nodded.

Bulma looked towards Gohan and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a yellow capsule, popped the top, and tossed it to the ground. In a puff of smoke, the capsule was replaced with a huge table full of food. Vegeta raised an eyebrow at his mate. "Woman, what the hell was the point of bringing this?"

Bulma scowled at the Saiyan Prince and crossed her arms. "Well, I figured that since Gohan hasn't moved from there in a few days that he'd be hungry." Bulma turned away from the small gathering and cupped her hands to her mouth. "Hey Gohan! Are you hungry! I brought plenty!" Bulma's head sank when Gohan remained still.

Vegeta, however, grabbed a large sandwich for himself and began eating. Krillin quickly followed suit, and even Piccolo poured himself a glass of water from one of the large pitchers. Krillin stopped mid-bite when he noticed Goku hadn't grabbed his normal army-sized portion.

"Hey Goku, you not gonna have any of this?" Goku shook his head.

"No, I don't really have much of an appetite right now." Everyone froze. Krillin dropped his bowl of noodles, Piccolo choked on his water, and Bulma's eyes bulged to the size of sauce pans. Even the Prince of Saiyans stood open mouthed in shock at his fellow warrior. In all the time they had known him, Bulma longest of all, they had never seen him turn away the offer of food. Not once.

"Alright Goku, I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I guess I have no choice. There's a tournament going on right now hosted by a guy named X.S. Cash for his son's birthday. He's calling it the 'Intergalactic World Tournament'. Stupid, I know. The point is, you're going to be fighting in it." Bulma's words didn't seem to affect Goku.

"Bulma, I'm not leaving until Gohan gets off that pillar. I'm not going to leave my son here alone." Bulma raised her finger and wagged it at the much taller Saiyan.

"Actually you are. Chi Chi already signed you up. She wants you to win it to pay for Gohan's college. She also told me that if you don't go willingly, she'll come down here herself and drag you there." Goku looked at the blue haired woman and started to speak. Before he could he was interrupted by Piccolo.

"Goku, you should go." Goku looked surprised. For a moment his face regained its normal look.

"Why?" Piccolo crossed his arms and stood in front of his former nemesis.

"Because you're too tense. If Gohan is attempting what I think he is, the last thing he needs to be doing is worrying about you stressing yourself to death. Go to the tournament, work out some frustration, and come back in a few hours. I'm sure it'll do you good. I'll stay here and watch him." Goku stared at the tall Namekian and turned his head to the side.

"What do you think he's doing?" He asked. Piccolo didn't respond. The fighter simply turned and took a seat on a nearby rock.

"Come on, Kakarrot, I'll enter too. It'll be a good preview for our eventual rematch." For once a genuine smile graced Vegeta's face. He looked almost eager. Goku shrugged in defeat.

"Alright, fine. I'll go. As long as I get to fight you at some point, Vegeta. I don't want it to be a _total _waste," Goku laughed. Vegeta smirked and floated a few feet off the ground.

"Oh don't worry, I wouldn't have it any other way." Without another word the Saiyan blasted off, presumably to sign himself up for the 'Intergalactic World Tournament'.

"Hey Krillin, you gonna enter?" Goku asked his best friend. Krillin nodded.

"Yeah, might as well and hope that third place has some sort of consolation prize." Goku laughed for the first time in days and patted his old friend gently on the back, which sent the young monk tumbling into a nearby plateau.

* * *

><p>Gohan sat alone on his pillar, exploring deep within his own mind. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he searched himself.<p>

_'Come on, I know its in here somewhere. It has to be. All that power, that evil. I have to find it. I have to find a way to control it. If I can't do that, all my friends and family are in danger.'_

The boy allowed his senses to extend themselves. He felt his father, his mentor, his best friend, and the woman who was family in all but blood nearby. He could sense his father finally relaxing.

_'Good, Dad's calming down. I was worried about him. Now I can really concentrate.' _

The young warrior cleared his mind, and searched deep within himself. He reached into a place within that wasn't a place, but at the same time was. Inside him was something awful, and it needed to be tamed. The only problem was, Gohan had no idea what he was searching for.

_'This is bad. I feel like I'm feeling around in the dark with gloves on. It has to be here. I have to find it.'_

With new determination, the boy delved even deeper into his own mind.

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><p><strong>Sorry about the wait, but this chapter got re-written about three or four times. Tell me what you think about the final product<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I know you were all excited, but unfortunately I still don't own Dragon Ball, DBZ, and thank god I don't own GT. I don't think I could live with the guilt.**

* * *

><p>Goku lazily sidestepped another badly thrown punch from a large, very well muscled man. For some reason the fighter had been following him around the ring since the preliminary round began. The man stood more than a foot taller and at least a hundred and fifty pounds heavier, than the Saiyan warrior. He had also apparently formed some sort of grudge.<p>

_'Maybe I shouldn't have said his clothes looked funny,' _Goku thought as he hopped over his opponents leg which had been aimed at his knees. Goku was worried about hurting any of the other competitors and as such had resorted to simply dodging their attacks until they were all either worn out or had eliminated each other.

From a slightly higher platform, Goku could hear Vegeta's loud cackles which told him the prince had chosen a different plan of action. Frequent splashes told him that Krillin had chosen the middle ground, and was simply knocking his opponents into the water.

* * *

><p>"Yeah Goku! Kick his butt!" Yelled Chi Chi from the stands. Beside her Bulma was cringing away from her friend while covering her ears. Even baby Trunks attempted to cover his small ears.<p>

"Uh, Chi, can you please not scream so loud?" she asked. The dark haired woman took no notice and seemed to cheer even louder. "Chi Chi?" More cheers. "Chi Chi!" No reaction. Bulma was about to yell again when a wrinkled old hand appeared on her shoulder.

Master Roshi, who was sitting behind the two women with Oolong and Puar, leaned in close enough to be heard over the crazed woman's taunts. "Don't worry Bulma, I'll quiet her down." He grinned mischievously and looked at Chi Chi. Stealthily, he began to fondle her 'lower back'. In a burst of speed that would have had her Saiyan husband's head spinning, Chi Chi spun around and slapped the old hermit up three rows of seating.

Chi Chi turned back and sat down with a 'humph'. For once in her life, Bulma was thankful for Master Roshi's perversion. "So, Chi Chi have you heard anything about Gohan?" Chi Chi's exterior abruptly shifted gears from angry to sad. The retired fighter looked down and sighed.

"No, nothing new. He still hasn't moved from that stupid pedestal of his. Piccolo is watching him right now." Bulma grimaced. She regretted her question. This was clearly the first time Chi Chi hadn't been killing herself with worry in a long time and she had ruined it. The blue-haired genius patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. But I think your husband is getting bored." She said with a giggle as she pointed towards the arena. Chi Chi looked up and smiled. She took a deep breath and resumed her loud cheering.

* * *

><p>After several minutes of casual dodging, Goku turned his attention back to his own platform to find that only himself and his stalker remained. The taller wrestler had his hands on his knees as he panted in a desperate attempt to regain his breath.<p>

"Hey, you okay there?" He asked innocently. The wrestler stopped panting and glared at the shorter fighter. He straightened and shouted in anger. With all the energy he could muster, he launched his fist at Goku, who didn't even bother to dodge. His fist connected with Goku's face and produced a sickening thud. The sound of bones cracking echoed in the resulting silence. Goku stood, completely unfazed, as the massive warrior grabbed his broken hand gingerly and collapsed to the ground.

"Das it, I no more fight. Dis guy is a freak," he cried through his heavy accent. The announcer raised his hand and declared Goku the victor. On the huge television screen in front of the audience a new roster appeared.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen it looks like we have our semi-finalists! Its going to be Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Doskoi, Udo, and Sky Dragon will be competing in a Battle Royal to decide who will go on to fight the reigning champion Mr. Satan!"

The crowd exploded in cheers and whistles as the competitors lined up on the huge platform that was to be the battleground for the semi-final fight. This one was much larger than the preliminary rings and rested mere inches above the water.

Vegeta and Goku stood directly opposite one another. Krillin stood to Goku's left with the fat sumo wrestler Doskoi between himself and Vegeta. Sky Dragon and the immense Udo stood to Goku's right. The announce raised his hand and, in as dramatic a voice as he could muster, announced for the fight to "Begin!"

Goku immediately glanced at Krillin, who gave him a knowing wink. The former monk disappeared from sight. He reappeared in front of Udo and knocked him into the water with a single kick. A wall of water rose up and soaked half of the arena. Before the tidal wave had even settled Krillin was in front of Sky Dragon. With a halfhearted backhand, Sky Dragon joined Udo in the surf.

Krillin turned his head at the last remaining non-Saiyan fighter and smirked. Doskoi backpedaled away from the short fighter. Seconds later the floor gave out beneath him and he too took a swim. Krillin sighed and slowly walked to the edge as well. With a graceful hop, his foot barely grazed the surface of the water. The whistle was blown to mark him as disqualified and he looked over his shoulder at his oldest friend.

The announcer, and the crowd, was dumbfounded. "Uh...it...it seems that Krillin has conceded the match! Amazing! Even after knocking out three skilled fighters in a row he seems to be scared of facing the Champ himself!" Krillin's head sank and sighed. He turned his head back to Goku and gave a resigned smile.

"The stage is all yours guys." Goku grinned widely.

"Thanks Krillin, I didn't want Vegeta to hurt them." Vegeta smirked and uncrossed his arms.

"Hm. So that was your plan? Have baldie clear the field for us?" Goku nodded. "I guess I should thank you, they would have gotten in the way and you know how annoyed that makes me. Still, making the bald one quit was a mistake."

"Oh yeah? How so?" asked Goku.

"You're going to need all the help you can get, not that it would have affected the outcome in the slightest." Goku grinned even wider and dropped into his fighting stance. Vegeta followed suite with his own stance.

For what seemed like an eternity the two great fighters stared each other down, each trying to find a weakness in the others technique. Suddenly Vegeta launched himself across the stage with his fist aimed at his adversary's head.

Goku ducked and quickly brought up his own fist into Vegeta's stomach. Vegeta knocked Goku's fist aside with his knee and brought his fists together above his head. Before the Prince could deliver the blow, Goku rolled under him and grabbed Vegeta's ankle. Before he could respond, Vegeta found himself falling towards the ground.

Just before his head hit the pavement, Vegeta outstretched his hands and caught himself. Vegeta back flipped away from Goku and launched an energy blast at him. Goku's eyes narrowed. In an instant he raised his own hand launched a blast of his own. The two Saiyans' blasts collided and canceled each other out in a bright explosion. The crowd was forced to cover their eyes and duck to protect themselves from the blinding light and the shock wave. Smoke concealed the entirety of the battleground.

From inside the dust cloud huge crashes could be heard. The two warriors were meeting each other blow for blow. The wind generated by their fight continued to stir the cloud faster and faster. It quickly turned into a sandstorm. Then, just as quickly as it started, the sounds stopped. The wind slowly died down and the spectators tried to see through the haze.

When the dust settled it showed the two warriors standing once again on opposite sides of the arena as if nothing had happened. The crowd was awe-struck. Not a single voice could be heard. Goku smirked and tilted his head.

"Care to take this to the next level?" He asked. Vegeta returned a smirk of his own and nodded. The two fighters clenched their fists and began to shout in sync. Golden streaks of light swirled around them and met in a maelstrom between them. The earth began to quiver. Loose pebbles defied gravity and floated up into the air. The water was blown away from the two Saiyans by an invisible force.

With one last yell, both fighters were engulfed in gold lights that seemed brighter than the sun itself. When the crowd was able to see again, they witnessed the two had changed. Both warriors were surrounded by pulsing gold flames. Their hair had turned gold, and their eyes had gone from black to teal.

Once again both men disappeared. High in the air, a massive shockwave was the only indicator of their location. It was followed by another, and another. Each time the clouds were blown farther and farther away.

Suddenly the two warriors were back on the arena floor. Punches and kicks flew between the two faster than the eye could see. Goku attempted to swipe Vegeta's legs out from under him only to have Vegeta hop onto his leg and launch his own fist at Goku's face. Goku countered with a punch of his own. Their knuckles connected with a sonic boom, but the two continued as if nothing had happened. Goku back flipped away to gain breathing room.

Before he could take a single breath Vegeta was on him again. The Saiyan Prince gathered an orb of energy in his right hand and fired it point blank into Goku's stomach. Goku pushed the the attack below him and landed his knee into the other Saiyan's face. The blow pushed Vegeta halfway across the ring.

Vegeta raised himself off his knees and looked at his opponent. His eyes were locked solidly on Goku like a hungry wolf stalking its prey. He wiped at his mouth with his glove and looked down to see a small amount of blood.

The Prince scowled and began to shout again. His aura exploded around him even larger than before, and his muscles swelled. Goku's eyes widened but were quickly forced shut by the double handed energy blast fired at him.

Before he could react, the attack exploded and he was sent careening towards the ocean. At the last moment he extended his right arm and used it to stop himself on the stage. His fingers dug long trenches in the stone as Goku barely managed to stop himself.

The taller Saiyan slowly stood and wiped the small amount of blood from his mouth. He narrowed his eyes and smiled at his rival. "So its gonna be like that, huh?" Vegeta's reply was his trademark smirk. Goku clenched his fists tightly and screamed. His aura burst outward as well, though his muscles did not expand as greatly.

The two fighters again launched themselves at each other. This time, however, it was clear that Goku now held the advantage. Vegeta threw his fist at his gut, but Goku sidestepped and grabbed the Prince's wrist. He heaved the bulkier warrior over his shoulder and threw him to the ground. Vegeta's body slammed hard into the arena floor and made a deep crater into the solid concrete.

Goku extended his hand towards the ground at the Saiyan prince who was still lying sprawled on the ground. A bright ball of golden light appeared in his hand. Without hesitation, he fired it. In a flash Vegeta flipped himself up onto one knee and extended his palms out towards the oncoming blast.

The energy violently crashed against his hands and burned away the gloves on his palms. Vegeta began to grunt with effort as he was slowly being pushed back into the ground. The Saiyan Prince gritted his teeth and pushed against the attack with all his strength. His aura exploded to life around him and, with one last push, he threw the ball high into the sky.

Goku was caught off guard by the move, which Vegeta used to his advantage. Using his momentum, he slammed his fist into Goku's unprotected midsection. Spit flew from Goku's mouth as he tumbled backwards. He came to a stop near the edge of the arena and straightened himself.

Both Saiyans stared each other down, both panting from exertion, especially Vegeta. He was pushing his limits to keep up with Goku, and even still Vegeta could tell he was holding back. A new surge of anger swelled inside him which he used to again launch himself at Goku. Goku dropped into his stance and prepared for the hit when Vegeta disappeared from view.

Goku's eyes widened in shock as he attempted to twist around. Before he could Vegeta's leg slammed into the side of his head. It was quickly followed up by another well placed kick which sent Goku tumbling once again to the opposite side of the ring. This time, however, Vegeta didn't let up. He blasted after Goku with such speed that no one observing the fight could keep up with.

"I'll teach you what happens when you underestimate the Prince of all Saiyans!" Vegeta matched his speed with Goku's uncontrolled tumble and placed both hands against the other fighter's back. He gathered as much energy as he could force into his hands and pressed them tightly against Goku's shirt. Goku twisted to the side to avoid the blast, but Vegeta's hands followed him. "Take this!" Vegeta fired.

Goku grimaced in pain as his uncontrolled flight received a speed boost. He looked ahead and saw the water coming at him _extremely_ quickly. With a piece of acrobatics most professional athletes could only dream of, he flipped himself over, while still in mid flight, and launched his energy out behind him. He was about to counterattack against Vegeta when he felt something on the tip of his boot.

Water.

Goku froze mid stride and looked down. Sure enough, the very tip of his boot was touching the surface of the ocean. A loud whistle broke the silence and the announcer's voice came over the PA. "It seems Son Goku has touched the water! According to the rules, that qualifies as a ring-out. Vegeta is the winner!"

The awe struck fans exploded into applause as Vegeta smiled brighter than ever as his black hair and eyes returned. His deep cackles sounded across the water as Goku lowered himself back onto the stage in front of him. Slowly, he extended his hand to the Saiyan Prince.

In a move that shocked only those who knew him, Goku and Bulma especially, Vegeta grabbed his hand. The shorter Saiyan looked up at his rival. "I suppose you'll want a rematch after this one too, eh?" His tone was the most playful Goku had ever heard from him. _'I guess beating me has that affect on him.'_

Regardless, Goku nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely." Both Saiyans grinned, and both imagined their next fight. One where they could both go all out. Suddenly,a deep throaty laugh interrupted their celebration.

"Aw, isn't that sweet. I do love these tender moments." Both Saiyans jerked their attention up in the air. Above them floated five figures who were silhouetted against the sun. Both Saiyans squinted their eyes to try to see. Before their eyes could adjust, all five floated down to the arena. There were four men and a women. The woman had long orange hair that floated down to her waist.

The man next to her was a short, skinny man with a turban and red shirt. Next to him stood two hulking figures. One had an orange Mohawk and the other had spiky locks that looked similar to those of Future Trunks' Super Saiyan form.

In the middle stood a slightly shorter but extremely well built man who was clearly the leader. His long orange hair was kept low by a black bandana on his head. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and his face carried that particular blend of insanity and ruthlessness that seemed so common in the universe. All had teal skin.

"Hey sorry, you guys are a little late. The tournament's already over," Goku said cautiously. He could sense that these fighters, and fighters they clearly were, were very powerful. The one with the bandana in particular felt dangerous. He might have even been able to give Cell a run for his money.

The one wearing the bandana took a few steps forward until he was in front of the others. He scoffed in distaste. "Pitiful. So is this the best this planet has to offer?" His voice was deep and threatening. Vegeta took a dangerous step towards him.

"Hold your tongue you pathetic excuse for an organism. I suggest you leave before I lose my patience. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." The alien looked down his nose disdainfully at the Saiyan Prince and laughed. The shorter alien with the turban spoke next.

"How dare you speak to the Master like that! He is your new ruler and as such demands respect." Vegeta chuckled.

"Ruler, eh? Looks more like a popsicle someone forgot to throw away." Goku, meanwhile, was scrutinizing all the newcomers carefully. He had a very bad feeling in his gut about them.

"Who are you guys, anyway?" He asked cautiously. The female stepped forward and motioned to the leader.

"This is Master Bojack and we are his faithful servants. I am Zangya, this is Kogu," she said, motioning to the one who's hair resembled Trunks', "Bujin" the short one wearing the Turban, "and Bido." On Bido's head was a bright orange mohawk and goatee.

"I don't care who you are, I'm sick of hearing your voices. Leave before I end your wretched excuse for a life." All five smirked. Kogu stepped to the front of the others and flexed.

"You think you can, go ahead and try." Vegeta grit his teeth together in anger. Before Goku could even think to stop him, Vegeta crossed what little distance remained between them and aimed his fist at Kogu's head. The teal-skinned alien sidestepped the smaller Saiyan and brought his knee up into Vegeta's exposed ribs. Before he could recover, Kogu casually backhanded the Saiyan Prince back towards Goku where he skidded to a stop. His body left a deep trench in the arena.

Goku looked down at Vegeta as he started to pick himself up. A serious look overcame his face and he looked at the aliens. He growled and launched himself at Kogu. In one smooth move, the alien jumped over Goku's rush attack and brought his feet back down hard onto Goku's back. They slammed back onto the arena floor. Goku's body made a foot deep crater in the ground as Kogu hopped off him.

The two Saiyans picked themselves up and shared a look. With a nod, gold light began to pour from both of them. With practiced ease both returned to their Super Saiyan states. Kogu tilted his head to the side and smirked arrogantly. He thrust his chest outward and yelled.

Green light burst outward as the alien's skin faded to a pale green. His hair flashed upwards and turned blood red. Vegeta and Goku stared. They were unimpressed. While in their normal states they had been thoroughly outclassed, it seemed these aliens didn't possess nearly as much power in their transformations.

Vegeta smirked and dropped his guard. "Kakarrot, take a breather. I'll handle this one." Goku was still hesitant.

"Vegeta wait-" before Goku could finish Vegeta had already disappeared. He reappeared behind Kogu and elbowed him sharply in the spine. Kogu staggered forward. Before Vegeta could press his attack another alien, Bido, fired a blast to distract the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta dodged it and raised his hand at the interfering alien, only to look up and see Zangya's foot aimed directly at his face. Vegeta barely managed to duck, only to feel Kogu's fist in his stomach. The Saiyan looked down to see the alien open his fist on Vegeta's stomach. A ball of energy formed and blasted Vegeta away.

Vegeta gritted his teeth and pushed his energy out to stop his flight. He looked back at the aliens only to find Bido's leg aimed at his head. Vegeta dodged the blow and raised his forearm to block Zangya's fist from hitting his unprotected ribs. Behind him he sensed Kogu preparing to fire another blast.

Not giving the taller alien the chance, Vegeta grabbed Zangya's foot and spun her around. She smacked against her comrade with a sonic boom and both were sent flying. However, Vegeta wasn't fast enough to dodge Bido's next attack. A huge ball of energy slammed into his armor on his back and sent him to his knees.

The Saiyan Prince turned his head around and prepared to counter attack only to see Goku appear and punch the larger alien away. Bido was sent tumbling away by the blow which Goku followed up with a large energy blast. Before the attack hit, Kogu reappeared and batted it away. Goku grimaced as Vegeta rose to his feet beside him. Bido, Zangya, and Kogu opposite them.

Without taking his eyes off his enemies, Goku whispered to Vegeta. "We need to take this fight somewhere else, or all these spectators are going to get caught in the crossfire." Vegeta scoffed.

"Why should I care?" Goku glanced at Vegeta in annoyance.

"Because Bulma and your son are in that crowd. Just help me lure these guys away, alright?" Vegeta begrudgingly grunted his support. Goku nodded thankfully.

"Hey," he said, turning his attention back to the aliens, "let's take this somewhere where we'll have more room." Without waiting, Goku and Vegeta both slowly floated up and flew away from the island. Behind them, the aliens all looked to Bojack who shrugged and flew after the Saiyans. His subordinates didn't hesitate to follow him.


End file.
